Caroline Voaden: We must act now for NHS Devon

Christmas is the time of year that pressure on care homes is somewhat relieved, as people bring elderly relatives home for a day or two to spend time with family.

But there is no let up in pressure on the NHS, and this Christmas has been one of the worst, with a combination of viruses pushing already overstretched services to the brink.

And South Devon wasn’t immune: a staggering 371 out of 399 beds (93 per cent) were occupied in Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in the week to December 29, leaving basically no room for anyone who needed to come into hospital. Derriford have again declared a critical incident, meaning they are out of space.

These figures show just how precarious the situation is. But what’s truly scary is that what used to be a winter crisis is now fairly standard for our health service – and not limited to winter.

In July last year, NHS hospitals were 92.6 per cent full, well above the considered “safe” limit of 85 per cent and higher than the occupancy rate in the UK overall for the last week of December.

The adult social care crisis is a huge factor in this desperate situation. In August 2024, it was revealed that more than 14,000 NHS beds were occupied every day by patients who were well enough to be discharged. Patients who would be far better served by being able to leave hospital and recuperate in their own home.

That same month, writing in The Observer, the chief executives of three national care organisations – Care England (CE), the Homecare Association (HA) and the National Care Forum (NCF) – accused the government of prioritising the NHS over social care, and failing to recognise their interdependency.

I’m sure those organisations, like me, were all deeply disappointed by what they heard from the Government’s long overdue plan for adult social care.

The additional funding for elderly and disabled people to make home improvements and the establishment of cross-party talks on social care are welcome – the latter being something we’ve been calling for for years.

But the crux of this plan, a new commission led by Baroness Casey due to deliver its findings in 2028, is simply another example of the new government kicking the can further down the road and avoiding the political headache of working out the cost of the much-needed changes.

According to the Kings Fund, “since 1997 we’ve had two independent commissions, five White and Green Papers, three consultations and enough reports to fill a library”.

How many more reports do we need? How different are these commissions? The Dilnot Commission, for instance, reported in 2011 that “the current system is confusing, unfair, and unsustainable” and included among its recommendations a cap on care costs and a reduction in the postcode lottery for care services.

I would be willing to bet my house that the Casey Commission will find something similar. And that’s not to do a disservice to Baroness Casey, who I have no doubt will produce a robust and considered report. But we know what the problems are. We cannot afford to spend three more years talking, waiting for another plan.

Our NHS cannot afford to wait; the 2.6 million people aged over 50 struggling to access the support they need cannot afford to wait; and the families trying to source and finance care for their loved ones cannot afford to wait.

We have a library full of ideas; it’s time to action them. The Liberal Democrats have led the conversation on this issue for years now, and we’ll continue to push the government into understanding that now is the time for action, not another report.

If you wish to contact me about this or another issue you are facing, please do so at: caroline.voaden.mp@parliament.uk

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